Multiple Disabilities

A child's hand reads braille about fall leaves
Posted by Liamsmom
It's all about the experience!  We have been using experiences to teach concepts or new ideas and vocabulary.    It is so important, especially for our children with vision impairments, to have real-life tangible experiences!...



Writing alphabet letters
Posted by Roxana Cziker
This is the first of five parts created by Low Vision Therapist, Dr. Roxana Elena Cziker, focusing on the needs of students with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)   The series is designed to address challenges for children with CVI who...



An intervener and student are identifying a sink using tactile sign
Posted by Liamsmom
Taking purposeful trips to places in the community can be prove to be a motivating and meaningful way to focus on language goals.     My son, Liam, is 7 years old and happens to be deafblind. American Sign Language (ASL) is his first...



A girl participates in a science lesson using a HOPSA dress.
Posted by Kate Hurst
One of the issues often raised by instructors related to Active Learning is that it looks like “play”.  This makes it difficult to explain how the child is actually focused on the same important “work” that engages the time of...



Accessible bins in classroom
Posted by Charlotte Cushman
It’s that time of the year again!  The start of a new school year always brings a range of emotions: excitement, worry, anticipation, wistfulness to say goodbye to summer…  We hope that these ideas and resources will help to get the...



Tack-Tiles
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam is 7 years old and will be starting 2nd grade this school year.  He is deafblind, uses tactile American Sign Language and is a braille reader.   I love TACK-TILES®.  I have often been asked how we used Tack-Tiles with Liam...



A boy writes a letter on a braillewriter.
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam is 7 years old and he is deafblind.  Liam loves reading and writing braille.  I thought a great activity for summer break would be to learn about writing letters to our friends and family.  It was my hope that it would be fun and...



pictures shows student matching tactile shapes on a Velcro strip
Posted by Tracy Fitch
How many of us serve students who have both a severe visual impairment and multiple disabilities, including intellectual disabilities? How many of us have attempted literacy instruction or braille with this population of students? And, if you have, how...



Man parachuting
Posted by Kristie Smith
The other day when I was working with one of my students with multiple disabilities and a visual impairment, I heard heartbreaking words from a grieving parent, “Why are they still coming?” he asked with sadness.    Supporting...



Tactile and visual morning schedule
Posted by Jaime Brown
It won't be long now before a new school year begins.  This brings excitement for parents, as well as children, but it can also bring worry about the transition, especially for young children who are blind or visually impaired.  The tips here...



A girl uses an iPad with colored patterns on it.
Posted by Jaime Brown
The iPad is an incredible tool for all students, including those with CVI (cortical visual impairment).  There are amazing accessibility features that enhance the experience.  The iPad can be used to teach visual skills and to conduct vision...



Tactile map of cities
Posted by Liamsmom
I have two boys.  My oldest is 7 years old, deafblind, and an early braille reader.  My youngest is 4 years old and has typical vision and hearing.  We recently went on a road trip to visit family out of state.  Planning for the trip...



Caterpillar and strawberry Images on black background
Posted by Tracy Fitch
Introduction: For my Cortical Visual Impairment mentor training we were assigned to adapt a book for all three phases of CVI. I chose The Very Hungry Caterpillar because I have several classes reading this book through the end of the school year. I...



Happy Birthday page
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam just turned 7 and we celebrated his birthday at our home with family and friends from school. Liam happens to be deafblind and attends first grade in a mainstream setting.  I wanted Liam's birthday party to be accessible and include...



Girl with her hand in a tub of water
Posted by ScarlettsEyes
As I have discussed previously in other blog posts my daughter Scarlett is a massive lover of music.  My mini maestro is literally music mad and, although it is great to see such a burning passion in that area, it is also very important to develop a...



Police Literacy Skills Kit
Posted by Catherine Summ
By Lisa Pruner and Catherine Summ Education Consultants, CT DORS- Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind   Overview: Officer Buckle and Gloria share everyday safety tips in ways which are engaging and funny for young...



Hands reading braille fork label on silverware drawer
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam is 6 years old (almost 7!!) and he is deafblind.  He enjoys helping me around the house.  One of his chores is to unload the dishwasher (see Accessible Job Chart for the Home).  When he first started helping with this, he...



Two children using tactile sign language
Posted by Liamsmom
My son Liam has a good friend from school named Bella. They are in the same first grade class, where Liam is fully included. (Liam is deafblind and Bella has typical vision and hearing.)  We love it when she gets to come over to our house to play!...



Bucket of materials for Frozen activity
Posted by Gwyn McCormack
Creating a holistic approach based on a theme or story enables children who are visually impaired to access and enjoy literacy and numeracy activities in a meaningful way.    The film "Frozen" has been tremendously popular...



Candy cane, pinecone, pine needles
Posted by Jaime Brown
Students benefit from participating in a wide variety of different experiences.  When they engage in an “experience” they are immersed in a rich learning environment.  Students can have experiences within the classroom, outside, on a...



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